Life confined to a wheel chair, a challenging experience

ANDREA CASHIOLA

Published 7:00 pm, Monday, October 13, 2003

This "Wheelchair Challenge" was part of a campaign to promote October as National Physical Therapy Month, raise awareness of preventative health and to bring attention to the Richmond State School, says challenge organizer Nicole Aiken, a local Physical Therapist Assistant with Girling Home Health Care, Inc.

So, Aiken rounded up 12 Fort Bend dignitaries who accepted the challenge to be wheelchair bound for four hours while performing their daily tasks. "I felt that this was a good way to get community involved and let them see how a handicapped person deals with situations on a daily basis in society," says Aiken.

McKie says that when he was asked to participate, he thought it sounded like a worthwhile experience, especially since he had never been injured.

After the challenge, he described his experience as an enlightening one. "Here I was trying to perform simple functions that I would normally not think twice about, but were suddenly very difficult."

For example, the usually easy task of sitting at his desk and working on the computer became difficult. "It was hard to turn around to the computer behind me, and nearly impossible to type because the arms on the wheelchair made it hard to get at the keyboard," he says.

It was also tough to maneuver within his office and go through doorways, says McKie. "At one point, I'm ashamed to admit, I did cheat and got up to make myself a cup of coffee," he says. "I couldn't reach the coffee maker, and I felt guilty for asking my secretary to do it when I usually do it myself."

McKie also says he was caught of guard by his students' responses and the attention he received. "Many people were in shock to see me in the chair and wondered what happened. Several students and parents offered to wheel me down the hall. I had to rely on other people to do basic tasks I used to take for granted, and that was something I wasn't used to," he says.

McKie says after his time in the chair was up, he felt relieved to stand up, and that is when the experience hit home. "It really made me stop and think, what if I couldn't get up after 5 hours, what if I were paralyzed, or injured? I finally realized what people confined to a wheelchair go through on a daily basis."

Then the thought crossed his mind about what a quadrapalegic must go through. "I could still move my upper body and scoot up if I was uncomfortable. What if I couldn't move anything? After I stood up from that chair, I had a renewed appreciation for the handicapped," he says.

Now, McKie extends the challenge to others. "This is something I encourage everyone take the time out and participate in, especially if you know someone who is handicapped, because until you really sit down in that chair, you won't have a full understanding of what it is like."

The events Aiken has planned will conclude this weekend, on Oct. 18, from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. at a free fitness day providing physical therapy and health information at the Richmond State School, 2100 Preston.

This event will have plenty for the entire community to participate in, says Aiken, including booth spaces by: Texas Adaptive Aquatics water sports for disabled children and adults, Kids n Cops Fort Bend Sheriff Dept., Special Olympics, Girling Home Health, 24 Hour Fitness, Rich-mond State School and Mental Health Association of Fort Bend County. Also, residents from the Richmond State School will participate in specially designed obstacle course. The wheelchair challengers will be on hand to cheer and adorn the competitors with a medal and finisher bag.

Aiken hopes that this event will give awareness to the Richmond State School, which has faced many cuts in funding. There will be a designated drop off spot for equipment from the community that day. Equipment needed for the school includes walkers, wheelchairs, weight sets and treadmill type exercise equipment.

Aiken hopes that this event raises awareness to the importance of physical activity.

"I feel that with anybody at any level with any disease process, there is no reason not to do physical activity twice a week for at least 15 minutes. We brush our teeth twice a day, why not brush our muscles twice a day."